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SASS Costume Contest Management and Administration

November 2005 Initial Release

Costume Contest Management and Administration Initial Release November, 2005

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Costume Contest Committee Cat Ballou, SASS #55, Chairperson Ellsworth T. Kincaid, SASS #6037 Fannie Kikinshoot, SASS #33693 Huricane With One R, SASS #19283 Mad Mountain Mike, SASS #4385 Lady Stetson, SASS #6038 Tornado Alli, SASS #26303

Mission Statement Costuming is what makes Cowboy Action Shooting™ unique among all the shooting sports, and dressing in costume is as important to many SASS members as the shooting events. Therefore, it is recommended a set of rules and guidelines, i.e., standards, be established for the organization and administration of Costume Contests at all SASS State Championships, SASS Regionals, the National Championship – Winter Range, and the World Championship – END of TRAIL. The SASS Costume Committee November 13, 2005


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...................................................................................... 1

COSTUME CONTEST ORGANIZATION.............................................. 1

COSTUME CHAIRPERSON AND COMMITTEE ................................ 1

STRUCTURING COSTUME CONTESTS.............................................. 1

COSTUME CONTEST ENTRY FORM .................................................. 1

CATEGORIES AND RULES.................................................................... 2

JUDGING CRITERIA AND JUDGES..................................................... 2

CONTEST MECHANICS ......................................................................... 3

APPENDIX – SAMPLE FORMS.............................................................. 4

SAMPLE REGISTRATION FORMS ................................................... 5

SAMPLE SIGN-UP LIST....................................................................... 8

SAMPLE SCORING SHEET ................................................................ 9

SAMPLE RESULTS REPORTS ......................................................... 10

SAMPLE SCRIPTS .............................................................................. 14

SAMPLE CONTESTANT NUMBERS ............................................... 16


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Introduction

Costuming has been as important to the growth of Cowboy Action Shooting™ over the past 25 years as the shooting. However, there is no set criteria for judging costumes, rules for entrants, guidelines for organizing and putting on costume contests, establishing awards, or giving recognition in The Cowboy Chronicle.

This “Costume Management and Administration” Guide has been developed by the SASS Costume Committee to establish rules and set standards for organizing costume contests. This document provides match organizers and costume contest participants with a consistent set of rules and standards, ensuring uniform costume contests at SASS State Championships, SASS Regionals, the National Championship – Winter Range, and the World Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting – END of TRAIL.

Costume Contest

Organization All SASS State Championships,

Regionals, Winter Range, and END of TRAIL should have two mandatory costume contests – a Shooting (Working) Costumes contest held during the daytime shooting event, and a Best Dressed Costume contest, held in the evening, either during the Saturday banquet or another appropriate evening.

In addition, optional costume contests can be held, such as Soiled Dove or Saloon Girls, Gun Cart contests, Mounted Shooting Costumes, and B-Western/Silver Screen costume contests. The B-Western costume category can either be included in the daytime

Shooting Costumes Contest, or held as a separate event in the evening.

If a Regional hosts a Mounted Shooting Event, then a Mounted Shooting Costume Contest is also mandatory.

Costume Chairperson

and Committee Match Directors are not responsible

for organizing and running match costume contests. The Match Director appoints someone to be the Costume Contest Chairperson, and that Chairperson develops a committee to organize, structure, and run the match’s costume contests. The Match Director and the Costume Contest Chairperson need to coordinate the number and type of awards that will be given to contestants – plaques, buckles, certificate, free match entries, and the like.

Structuring Costume

Contests Announce your contests(s) in the

match flyer published in The Cowboy Chronicle and/or on your club’s website. Tell people when and where the contests will be held and what kind of contests are provided – e.g., Best Dressed, Shooting Costumes, B-Western, and so forth. If contestants must pre-register, create an entry form.

Costume Contest Entry

Form This is where you spell out rules,

costume categories, judging criteria, times for judging, and any other pertinent information, such as no


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zippers, no Velcro, no modern blue jeans, and the like. The costume contest entry form must be included in each shooter’s and conventioneer’s registration packet. If contestants are required to pre-register, construct your entry form with a “detachable” bottom for contestants to fill out their names, addresses, SASS aliases and numbers, and the costume category they are entering. Also inform them where and by what time/deadline the forms must be turned in. (See example registration forms in the Appendix.) Have an entry form box for depositing the entry forms at some easy to find designated location, e.g., the Match Registration booth or tent.

Categories and Rules Decide how many costume

categories you will have and how many places to award the winners - first through third place or first through fifth or some other combination. Best Dressed Costume Contests usually have four to six categories – Men (Gentlemen), Ladies, Couples, Military, and Juniors. You may want to add B-Western/Silver Screen to your Best Dressed evening event, or keep B-Western with the day Shooting Costumes Contest.

Shooting (Working) Costume categories can be as varied as you want – Classic Cowgirl or Cowboy, Townsperson, B-Western Cowboy and Cowgirl, Indian Wars, Native American, Best Conventioneer, Best Waddie, and so forth. At large matches, it is difficult for roaming judges to seek out shooters, looking at their shooting costumes, and/or taking photographs to decide winners. A much better system for conducting a Shooting Costume Contest is to designate a time and place

(Example: 10:00 am-noon, and 2:30-4:30 pm in the Big Tent on Friday or Saturday or both days) and require the contestants come to the judges for judging. Spell out the costume contest rules. For example: Contestants must be Shooters, Conventioneers, or Waddies. No zippers or Velcro allowed. No late entries. Contestants have 60 seconds to describe their outfit or make their presentation. Soiled Dove costumes must be “appropriate” to the era … the entry form is the place to do this.

Judging Criteria and

Judges Costume contests should not be

popularity contests determined by “democratic” vote. They need to be judged using established, proven criteria with a panel of judges. The Costume Committee recommends the following criteria be used with all costume contests held at SASS Championships, Regionals, National, and the World Championship: Contestants should be judged on Costume Authenticity (40%), Originality (20%), Detail (20%)(including hats, gloves, shoes, jewelry, and other appropriate accessories) and Presentation (20%). (See sample scoring sheets in the Appendix.) For Mounted Contestants, the horse’s tack must be considered as well as the contestant’s costume.

There should be at least three, and up to a maximum of seven, judges for all costume contests. Five judges is a good number for the Best Dressed Costume Contest. Judges should not be picked “on the fly” or at the last minute. Whom to ask? Past costume contest winners, out of state guests, vendors, SASS members who always look good, and local historical costume experts all


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potentially make excellent judges. If you have Military or Native American as a costume category, try to find a judge who is knowledgeable in those areas.

Contest Mechanics

After costume registration is closed, a costume committee member or waddie must sort the entries and enter them on the Master Sign-up Lists. Use a Master Sign-up List for each costume category – Ladies, Gentlemen, Couples, Military. When contestants arrive for judging, they will be checked off their appropriate Master Sign-up List and given an entry number.

Location - Set aside a space designated solely for the purpose of judging the costume contests – e.g., a separate room, separate tent, or the Big Tent. It needs to be away from the main event and evening entertainment.

If possible, have a stage and microphone available for contestants to describe their costumes and/or conduct their presentations.

Provide the judges with a table and chairs, pencils or pens, water, and the appropriate judging forms. One of the judges should be assigned responsibility to time the contestants. A minute timer helps keep participant’s presentations to the required seconds. And a small courtesy sign saying “time’s up” is also helpful.

Costume staff – you need two to three Waddies to give out entry numbers from the Master Sign-up List to contestants, help contestants on and off the stage, and retrieve the entry numbers after the presentation is complete.

Photographer – this is most important at all your costume contests. All contestants, and especially the winners, should be photographed for inclusion in the match article for The Cowboy Chronicle.

Awards – At the Saturday banquet or event, there should be a costume promenade for all entrants, followed by the announcement of the winners and awards presentation. This helps “shorten” your Sunday awards ceremony and allows the contestants to be photographed in their finest for the match article. Give your Shooting Costume awards at the Sunday Awards Ceremony. Awards for other costume contests, such as Soiled Doves, can be distributed the evening they are held.

Costume Winners Recognition - Always include a list of the costume contests winners and photographs in your match article submitted to The Cowboy Chronicle. Also post the costume contest results on your website if you have one. Large matches and SASS Regionals are encouraged to submit a separate article on the costume events and winners, with photographs, to The Cowboy Chronicle.


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Appendix – Sample Forms This appendix contains sample contest forms. Forms handed to participants, such as

the registration forms, can be as fancy as you care to make them … you want to create the best impression possible for your guests. For the forms used by the judging and reporting staff, these can be as plain and efficient as you care to make them. As you create your own forms, remember to put the name and year of the event at the top and identify the category being addressed. These reports become your database for future reference and historical records. Also, don’t forget to put a note at the bottom specifying where and when the forms are to be turned in. It’s important to have the results in the right hands before the awards ceremony!!


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SAMPLE REGISTRATION FORMS


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SAMPLE SIGN-UP LIST


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SAMPLE SCORING SHEET


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SAMPLE RESULTS REPORTS


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SAMPLE SCRIPTS


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SAMPLE CONTESTANT NUMBERS

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